Grapple



' 1,470,327 y E. LAFIRENIERIE Oct. 9, 1923.

GRAPPLE Filed Jan. 13 1923 atto: mais Patented Uct.. 9, 1923.

rra stirs iAZit ELI LAFRENinRE, or WESTF'IELD,faAssacHUsETTs.'

GRAPPLE.

Application filed January 13, 1923. Serial No. 612,558.

To all yw/mm t 'may concern Be it known that I, ELI LAFRENIERE, a citizen of the United States, residing at 'Westfield in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented eertain new and useful Improvements in Grapples, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to grapples, and has as an object the provision of a grapple especially adapted for the handling of railway tics, or the like. A further object of the invention is the provision of a grapple which will permit the user to secure a hold upon a railway tie so as to enable him to readily apply his strength to the moving of the tie. A further object of the invention is the provision of a grapple having means to rest upon the tic, acting as a fulcrum, and hooks to grasp the sides of the tie, thus providing a firm grasp thereof.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which the ligure is a perspective view of a grapple, shown as applied to a piece of timber'.

As shown in the drawing, the grapple comprises a body member 10, il'ormed from a plate, preferably of metal. To rest upon the article to be grasped, thereby acting as a fulcrum about which the power is applied to the timber, there is shown a projection 11 extending at an angle to the body 10. The body 1() and the projection 11 may desirably be formed of an integral plate of metal.

The hook members are shown as comprising round portions 12, 13, placed diagonally upon opposite sides of the body 10, and secured thereto as by means of loops 14.-, 15, 16, 17, which loops may be secured to the plate 10, as by means of rivets.

Handles to be grasped by the user are shown at 18, 19, and may bc joined t-o the portions 12, 13 by means of extensions 20, 21, and are offset therefrom by means of portions 22, 23, to provide a leverage for revolution of the portions 12, 13. The opposite ends of the rods 1Q, 13 are shown as formed into hooks 24, 25 downwardly curved and turned inwardly at their ends, which terminate in sharp points 2G, 27 adapted to take into the article to be grasped.

lflndwise play of the rods 12, 13 in the loops by which they are secured to the plate is limited by the ofset portions 22, 23, and by the bend of the hooks 24, 25. As shown, the plate 10 is provided with a stiffening member 28 to prevent tleXure thereof when the lifting effort is applied about projection 11 as a fulcrum. If desired, an additional member 28 may be placed upon the opposite side of the plate.

When it is desired. to move a tie or a timber the device may be laid. upon the timber in the position shown in the drawing with the projection 11 in contact therewith and with the handles 18, 19 projecting beyond the end of the article. An upward pull upon the handles 18, 19 will then cause revolution ot the rods 12, 18, striking the points 26, 27 into the sides of the timber after the manner of action of ice-tongs in common use. The eifort necessary to raise the timber will, in the well known manner, cause the points to sink deeper into the timber and will provide a continuously firmer grip of the timber. After the tie has been lifted the weight may be carried, if desired, by one handle and without danger of the gra-pple slipping off from the tie.

Minor changes may be made in the physical embodiment of the invention withoutdeparting from its spirit.

1 claim:

1. A grapple comprising, in combination. a body member, a pair of hooks, Shanks rigidly secured to said hooks pivoted upon said body member in crossed relation relative to each other, handles upon said shanks adapted to cause revolution thereof, and means upon said body extending beyond said hooks to press upon an object to be lifted.

2. n grapple comprising, in combination, a plate, a pair of hooks, Shanks rigidly connected to said hooks, said shanks pivoted upon said plate in opposite diagonal positions, handles upon said shanks offset therefrom, whereby lifting power applied to said handles may cause said hooks to approach each other, an. extension of said plate beyond said hooks to press upon an article to be lifted, said extension acting as a fulcrum about which such lifting power is applied.

3. A gra-pple comprising, in combination, a plate, a pair of rods pivoted upon said plate in crossed relation, hooks rigidly secured upon said rods, said hooks downwardly curving from the plane of said plate, a handle upon each of said rods, each handle 5 offset from its rod vin the direction of extension of the hook from said rod whereby power .ap-plied to the handles may cause the points of lche hooks to approach each other, an extension upon said plate, means projecting downwardly from said extension, said means acting as a fulcrurn Jfor application of lifting power to an object grasped by said hooks.

ELI LAFRENIERE. 

